Universal joint with bearing cup retention thrust washer

ABSTRACT

A universal joint includes a pair of bifurcated yokes interconnected by a cruciform. The cruciform includes four orthogonal trunnions each including a lubricant passage. A thrust washer engages a portion of the trunnion to retain a bearing assembly on each trunnion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/412,925 filed on Apr. 14, 2003. The disclosure of the aboveapplication is are) incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a universal joint for use ina driveline of a motor vehicle. More specifically, the present inventionpertains to a universal joint equipped with a mechanism for securing abearing cup assembly to a cruciform trunnion.

As is commonly known, universal joints are used in motor vehicledriveline applications for interconnecting a pair of rotary shafts andpermitting changes in angularity therebetween. Many conventionaluniversal joints include a pair of bifurcated yokes which are secured tothe rotary shafts. The bifurcated yokes are interconnected by a spideror a cruciform for rotation about independent axes. The cruciformincludes four orthogonal trunnions with each opposing pair of axiallyaligned trunnions mounted in a pair of aligned bores formed in thebifurcated yokes. Typically, a bearing cup is secured in each bore and abearing assembly is retained in the bearing cup such that each yoke issupported for pivotal movement relative to one of the pairs oftrunnions. In addition, it is known to use a thrust washer between thetrunnion and the bearing cup to absorb the radially-directed thrustforces which may occur therebetween.

During assembly of the universal joint, difficulties may arise whenattempting to couple the bearing assemblies to the bifurcated yokes.Typically, each bearing assembly, thrust washer and bearing cup arepositioned on a trunnion but not positively retained thereto. During theassembly process, the bearing cup and bearing assembly may beaccidentally disrupted and separated from the trunnion. Gravitationalforces may also cause separation of the components during the assemblyprocess. Possible bearing contamination and loss of productivity mayresult. In some instances, extraneous straps, nets or other packagingare used to retain the bearing cup assemblies in place during shippingand handling. These straps must be removed and discarded by the end userrequiring expense of time and cost. Accordingly, it would beadvantageous to provide a universal joint having bearing cup assemblieswhich are retained on the trunnions without the use of externaldiscardable devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a universal joint forinterconnecting a pair of rotating shafts. The universal joint includesa pair of bifurcated yokes interconnected by a cruciform. The cruciformincludes four orthogonal trunnions each including a lubricant passage. Athrust washer engages a portion of the trunnion to retain a bearingassembly on each trunnion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a universal joint according to theprincipals of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the universal joint shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial exploded perspective view of a trunnion and bearingcup assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a universal jointincluding a thrust washer constructed in accordance with the teachingsof the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the thrust washer shown in FIG. 4; inaccordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a universal jointincluding alternate trunnion and the thrust washer of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-section side view of a universal jointincluding an alternate embodiment thrust washer and an alternateembodiment trunnion;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the thrust washer shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the universal jointincluding another alternate embodiment thrust washer constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the thrust washer of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In general, the present invention is directed to a universal joint ofthe type used in motor vehicle driveline applications forinterconnecting rotating shafts in a manner permitting changes inangularity therebetween.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a universal joint 10 is shown connecting afirst shaft 12 to a second shaft 14. In general, universal joint 10includes a first yoke 16 attached to an end of first shaft 12, a secondyoke 18 attached to an end of second shaft 14 and a cruciform 20interconnecting first yoke 16 to second yoke 18. The first yoke 16 isbifurcated and includes a pair of laterally-spaced legs 22 which arepreferably symmetrical with respect to the rotary axis of first shaft12, as denoted by construction line “A”. Legs 22 include an inboardsurface 24 and an outboard surface 26 with a journal 27 extendingtherebetween. Apertures 28 are formed by coupling a pair of end caps 30to legs 22 via fasteners 31. End caps 30 cooperate with journals 27 tocomplete apertures 28. Apertures 28 are aligned on a first trunnionaxis, as denoted by construction line “Y”, which passes through and isorthogonal with respect to rotary axis “A” of first shaft 12.

Second yoke 18 is bifurcated and includes a pair of laterally-spacedlegs 32 which are preferably symmetrical with respect to the rotary axisof second shaft 14, as denoted by construction line “B”. Legs 32 includean inboard surface 34 and an outboard surface 36 with an aperture 38extending therebetween. Apertures 38 are aligned on a second trunnionaxis, as denoted by construction line “Z”, which passes through and isorthogonal with respect to rotary axis “B” of second shaft 14. Apertures38 are throughbores which include an annular groove 40 formed betweenthe inboard surface 34 and the outboard surface 36. It should be notedthat the shape and dimensions of apertures 28 and 38 may either beidentical or different depending on the particular dimensions ofcruciform 20 used therewith. It should also be noted that the annularring grooves 40 may be formed by machining, casting or by similartechnique.

As best seen in FIG. 2, cruciform 20 includes a central hub 42 fromwhich a pair of first trunnions 44 and a pair of second trunnions 46extend. First trunnions 44 are orthogonal with respect to secondtrunnions 46. First trunnions 44 are adapted for insertion intoapertures 28 in legs 22 of first yoke 16 so as to be axially aligned onfirst trunnion axis “Y”. Similarly, second trunnions 46 are adapted tobe inserted into apertures 38 in legs 32 of second yoke 18 so as to beaxially aligned on second trunnion axis “Z”. With first trunnions 44 andsecond trunnions 46 installed in first and second yokes 16 and 18,respectfully, trunnion axes “Y” and “Z” pass through a common plane “C”which orthogonally intersects the rotary axis of cruciform 20, as shownin FIG. 1.

Universal joint 10 also includes a first pair of bearing cup assemblies48 adapted to be mounted in apertures 28 and a second pair of bearingcup assemblies 50 adapted to be mounted in apertures 38. First bearingcup assemblies 48 are provided for receiving and rotatably supportingfirst trunnions 44 in apertures 28. Similarly, second bearing cupassemblies 50 are provided for receiving and rotatably supporting secondtrunnions 46 in apertures 38. For purposes of brevity, the followingdescription will be limited to the components of first bearing cupassemblies 48 with the understanding that the corresponding componentsof second bearing cup assemblies 50 are substantially identical.

FIGS. 3-5 depict each bearing cup assembly 48 as including a bearing cup52, a thrust washer 54, roller bearings 56, a seal washer 58 and anelastomeric seal 60. Bearing cup 52 is substantially hollow andcylindrical in shape. Bearing cup 52 includes a substantiallycylindrical tubular segment 62 closed at one end by an end segment 64.Tubular segment 62 includes an outer wall surface 66 and an inner wallsurface 68. End segment 64 includes an outer surface 70 and an innersurface 72. Roller bearings 56 are positioned between inner wall surface68 and an outer wall surface 74 of trunnion 44 to allow relative rotarymovement between bearing cup 52 and trunnion 44. Roller bearings 56 areoriented to rotate on an axis parallel to axis “Y” of trunnions 44 andare arranged in a circumferential array about this axis. One end of eachroller bearing 56 is supported to roll against the bearing surface 76formed on a circumferential flange segment 78 of thrust washer 54. Theopposite ends of roller bearings 56 are captured by seal washer 58which, in turn, is retained by seal 60. Seal 60 extends between outerwall surface 66 of bearing cup 52 and outer wall surface 74 of trunnion44 to protect roller bearings 56 from contamination and to retainlubricant within bearing cup assembly 48.

As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, thrust washer 54 includes a disk segment82 from which circumferential flange 78 extends. A central aperture 86extends through disk segment 82 and is in communication with a lubricantpassage 92 found in each trunnion. A fitting (not shown) mounted oncentral hub 42 of cruciform 20 communicates with lubricant passage 92.The fitting is used to supply lubricant to passage 92 for lubricatingroller bearings 56 as well as for providing a lubricant film betweenrelatively moveable surfaces.

Disk segment 82 has an outer face surface 96 which faces and contactsinner surface 72 of bearing cup 52. Disk segment 82 also includes aninner face surface 98 which faces and contacts an end surface 100 oftrunnion 44. Inner face surface 98 and outer face surface 96 aresubstantially parallel such that disk segment 82 has a constantthickness. In addition, thrust washer 54 includes a circumferentialinner wall surface 102 and a circumferential outer wall surface 104, asdefined by flange segment 78. Circumferential inner wall surface 102 isadapted to face outer wall surface 74 of trunnion 44. Circumferentialouter wall surface 104 contacts inner wall surface 68 of bearing cup 52.As such, thrust washer 54 functions to align bearing cup 52 and trunnion44.

Circumferential inner wall surface 102 includes a lip 106 extendingradially inwardly therefrom. Lip 106 is an annular structure defining alocalized aperture 108 having a reduced effective inner diameter at thelocation of the lip when compared to the remainder of circumferentialinner wall surface 102. Lip 106 may be defined as an uninterruptedstructure as shown in FIG. 5 or may include spaces between a pluralityof lip portions. Each lip portion includes the cross-sectional featuresshown in FIG. 4. Trunnion 44 includes a radially outwardly extendingannular ring 110 positioned near its distal end. Lip 106 is positionedalong flange segment 78 to engage a portion of annular ring 110 oncethrust washer 54 and bearing cup 52 are in the installed positiondepicted in FIG. 4.

Thrust washer 54 includes a series of lubrication grooves 112 whichextend radially from central aperture 86 to circumferential inner wallsurface 102 of flange segment 78. Grooves 112 are arcuate in profile todefine a cylindrical wall surface. It is preferable that an odd numberof grooves 112 are provided and which are equally spaced to define alike number of pie-shaped portions of disk segment 82. In addition, aplurality of indentations or dimples 114 are formed on the pie-shapedportions of disk segment 82. Dimples 114 can be randomly oriented or,more preferably, be aligned to define two circumferential rows. Dimples114 are adapted to retain lubricant therein to provide continuouslubrication over a large area of trunnion end surface 100. In addition,dimples 114 allow contaminants to be removed from the operating surfacesand be collected therein. A pocket 116 is formed in cup 52 for retaininglubricant in a reservoir for use during operation of the universaljoint. Thrust washer 54 is constructed from a resilient material such asinjection molded plastic.

To assemble universal joint 10, first bearing cup assemblies 48 andsecond bearing cup assemblies 50 are installed on a respective trunnion.During the installation process, thrust washer 54 is axially disposedover trunnion 44. Lip 106 engages annular ring 110 in a snap-fitarrangement. Because lip 106 of thrust washer 54 is sized to nominallyinterfere with annular ring 110, at least a portion of flange segment 78is deformed during installation. Flange segment 78 springs back once lip106 passes annular ring 110. In this manner, thrust washer 54 and rollerbearings 56 are retained on trunnion 44. Specifically, a dislodging orremoval force supplied to bearing cup 52 will be resisted by seal 60transferring the axial load through seal washer 58, roller bearings 56and thrust washer 54.

FIG. 6 depicts an alternate embodiment trunnion identified at referencenumeral 44′. Trunnion 44′ is substantially similar to trunnion 44previously described. However, trunnion 44′ includes a plurality ofprotrusions 120 radially extending from outer wall surface 74 in lieu ofannular ring 110. Protrusions 120 are generally hemispherically shaped.Protrusions 120 assure that at least a portion of lip 106 of thrustwasher 54 engages trunnion 44′. Accordingly, first bearing cup assembly48 is axially retained on trunnion 44′.

FIGS. 7 and 8 depict an alternate embodiment thrust washer 200. Thrustwasher 200 is substantially similar to thrust washer 54. Accordingly,only the substantial differences will be described hereinafter. Thrustwasher 200 includes a radially inwardly extending annular ring 202extending from flange segment 78. The distal end of an alternatetrunnion 44″ includes an annular groove 204. Groove 204 is positionedand sized to receive annular ring 202 of thrust washer 200. Annular ring202 is installed within groove 204 as a snap-fit connection where thrustwasher 200 is deformed during initial positioning over trunnion 44″.Flange segment 78 springs back to an undeformed condition once annularring 202 enters groove 204.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show another alternate embodiment thrust washer depictedat reference numeral 300. Thrust washer 300 includes a plurality ofradially inwardly extending ribs 302. Ribs 302 are circumferentiallyspaced apart from one another and positioned on circumferential wallsurface 102.

Thrust washer 300 is operable with another alternate trunnion 44′″ whichincludes a standard uninterrupted cylindrical shape having the outerwall surface 74 and end surface 100. During the installation of thrustwasher 300 onto trunnion 44′″, ribs 302 engage outer wall surface 74 oftrunnion 44′″ to cause flange 78 to open or yawn. Because thrust washer300 is constructed from a resilient material such as injection moldedplastic, flange 78 biasedly engages outer wall 74 of trunnion 44′″ toretain bearing cup assembly 48 on trunnion 44′″.

Once bearing cup assemblies 48 and 50 are installed on trunnions 44 and46, the bearing cup assemblies are inserted into leg apertures 28 and38. Thereafter, cruciform 20 is centered, dynamically balanced andcoupled to legs 22 and 32. A variety of methods for securing yokes 16and 18 to cruciform 20 are available. One method includes mounting asnap ring 122 within a circumferential groove 124 formed above outerwall surface 66 of bearing cup 52. Snap ring 122 engages inboard surface24 to retain the bearing assembly. Alternatively, portions of outboardsurface 26 surrounding apertures 28 may be deformed using processes suchas staking or peening to create local areas which engage outer endsurface 70 of bearing cup 52. Another method involves injecting moltenresin within a passageway extending between the leg and the bearing cup.The molten resin solidifies to retain the bearing cup within theaperture of the leg. Yet another retention method incorporates the useof projections (not shown) extending from legs 22 which may be deformedto engage a snap ring against outer end surface 70 of bearing cup 52.One or more of these methods is disclosed in commonly-owned U.S. Pat.Nos. 6,280,335, 6,162,126 and 6,336,868, the entire disclosure of eachbeing hereby incorporated by reference.

Furthermore, the foregoing discussion discloses and describes merelyexemplary embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the artwill readily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanyingdrawings and claims, that various changes, modifications and variationsmay be made therein without department from the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined in the following claims.

1. A universal joint comprising: a yoke including a leg having anaperture extending therethrough; a cruciform having a trunnion, saidtrunnion including an end portion having an end face; a bearingrotatably positioned on said trunnion; and a thrust washer having asubstantially planar disk segment and a circumferential flange, saiddisk segment engaging said end face of said trunnion, saidcircumferential flange including an inner surface having an annular ringprotruding inwardly therefrom, said annular ring being positioned withinan annular groove formed on said end portion of said trunnion.
 2. Theuniversal joint of claim 1 wherein said inner surface is substantiallycylindrical and surrounds a substantially cylindrical surface of saidend portion.
 3. The universal joint of claim 2 wherein said annular ringprotrudes inwardly beyond said substantially cylindrical inner surfaceof said circumferential flange.
 4. The universal joint of claim 3wherein said bearing engages a substantially cylindrically shapedsection of said trunnion having an outer diameter, said annular groovedefining a diameter less than said outer diameter.
 5. The universaljoint of claim 4 wherein said circumferential flange terminates at asurface adjacent an end face of said bearing.
 6. The universal joint ofclaim 1 wherein said circumferential flange is at least partiallydeformed during positioning of said thrust washer on said end portion ofsaid trunnion.
 7. The universal joint of claim 1 wherein said annularring is in snap-fit engagement with said annular groove.
 8. A universaljoint comprising: a yoke including a leg having an aperture extendingtherethrough; a cruciform having a trunnion, said trunnion including asubstantially cylindrical portion having an outer substantiallycylindrical surface and an end face; a bearing rotatably positioned onsaid substantially cylindrical portion; and a thrust washer having asubstantially planar disk segment, a flange circumscribing said disksegment and an annular ring extending radially inwardly from an innersurface of said flange, said inner surface of said flange partiallyenveloping said substantially cylindrical portion and said annular ringbeing positioned within an annular groove formed on said outersubstantially cylindrical surface of said trunnion to retain saidbearing on said trunnion.
 9. The universal joint of claim 8 wherein saidtrunnion includes a lubricant passage extending at least partiallythrough said trunnion in communication with said end face.
 10. Theuniversal joint of claim 9 wherein said thrust washer includes anaperture extending through said disk segment, said aperture being incommunication with said lubricant passage.
 11. The universal joint ofclaim 10 wherein said disk segment includes a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced apart grooves extending from said thrust washeraperture.
 12. The universal joint of claim 11 wherein said disk segmentincludes a plurality of dimples positioned in said disk segment betweensaid grooves, said dimples being operable to retain lubricant betweensaid thrust washer and said trunnion.
 13. The universal joint of claim 8wherein said flange of said thrust washer includes an annular end faceengaging an end of said bearing.
 14. The universal joint of claim 8wherein said flange is resilient and said annular ring is biasedlyengaged with said outer substantially cylindrical surface duringinstallation of said thrust washer.
 15. The universal joint of claim 8further including a bearing cup encompassing said thrust washer and saidbearing, said bearing cup being positioned within said yoke aperture.16. A universal joint comprising: a cruciform having a trunnion with agroove; a bearing cup encompassing a portion of said trunnion includingsaid groove; a bearing positioned within said bearing cup and rotatablypositioned on said trunnion; and a thrust washer positioned within saidbearing cup, said thrust washer including a disk segment surrounded by acylindrical wall segment, said thrust washer also including a protrusionradially inwardly extending from said cylindrical wall segment, saidprotrusion being positioned within said groove to retain said bearing onsaid trunnion.
 17. The universal joint of claim 16 wherein said grooveis formed on a substantially cylindrically shaped portion of saidtrunnion spaced apart from an end face of said trunnion.
 18. Theuniversal joint of claim 17 wherein said protrusion engages said groovein a snap-fit arrangement.
 19. The universal joint of claim 18 whereinsaid protrusion of said thrust washer is shaped as an annular ring. 20.The universal joint of claim 19 wherein said annular ring substantiallyfills said groove.